THE Zifa Northern Region Soccer League (NRSL), once viewed as a model of how to successfully run local football, is under scrutiny with a flurry of match-fixing allegations sprouting this term.
The league had become the darling of sponsors due to its professionalism, with players reaping rewards which saw the Soccer Star of the Year driving home after getting a vehicle as part of the prize money.
The sponsorship by these corporates, charmed by the professional set-up, could be under threat if the administrators do not investigate allegations of match-fixing engulfing the second-tier league.
Norton Community FC recently suspended five members on match-fixing allegations following a 7-0 thumping of the club by Premier League-chasing club, Scottland FC, at Rufaro Stadium on October 11.
The suspended are two executive members Tafadzwa Kuyerukana and Patrick Nyamayaro, two coaches Clemence Masunda and Willard Nguwoyembwa as well as goalkeeper Brandon Bere.
“The suspensions resulted from an investigation following a review of the matchday 33 (match), Scottland FC vs Norton Community at Rufaro Stadium, over allegations of match-fixing, which violates our club policies/rules,” the club said in a statement.
There are also allegations that money could have exchanged hands in Harare City’s 3-1 loss to Scottland.
Other claims are that log leaders MWOS players were approached to throw away the matches to give advantage to Scottland.
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The abandoned match between Karoi United and Scottland has also been flagged by critics, with claims the match officials could have been compromised, which led to a premature end to the tie.
All the match-fixing allegations have one common denominator: the cash-rich Scottland, owned by gold buyer Pedzisai “Scott” Sakupwanya.
The team has over the months transformed from a social side to a serious club knocking on the doors of the Premier Soccer League.
Why Scottland has not responded to the match-fixing allegations which will take away the gloss if they are promoted to the premier league remains a mystery.
It is also a puzzle why the league’s leaders have not released a statement to the effect that they are “undertaking investigations”, even if they are not doing so, to calm the nerves of sponsors.
Corporates do not want to be associated with chaos as it damages their brands.
The tranquillity in the northern region league had been key in luring sponsors.
One of the league’s sponsors, LM Auctioneers, said in April it was charmed by the professional set-up to sponsor the Player of the Month award as well as the Player of the Year gong.
“We said let us just come in and assist the Northern Region because I have seen some positive changes in the way they conduct their business over the years. I admired how they were operating over the last five years, so I decided that let us just be part of it,” LM Auctioneers director Luis Muzhara told journalists then.
The league’s chairperson Martin Kweza and his team have work cut out for them as match-fixing allegations taint football, which many have long described as a dirty game.
It has a chance to correct the wrongs to protect the integrity of the league and the sponsors that chose to partner NRSL despite the tough economic environment. Football is “the beautiful game”, according to Brazilian legend Pele.
